Routers are devices that direct traffic flow through networks. In particular, routers receive data packets, determine the next network point to which the packets should be forwarded, and then transmit the packets to the determined next network point.
In general, routers can be classified into a number of categories based on their traffic handling capacity. Backbone routers, for example, are high-performance routers that are typically implemented at the end-points of high-capacity network links. In the context of the Internet, for example, backbone routers may be implemented at connection points of high-capacity and optical links. Regional routers, in contrast, may be implemented as mid-range routers, having a routing capacity at a level below the backbone routers. Edge routers may have a lower routing capacity than the regional routers and are usually implemented at edges of an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The edge router controls packet transfer from the customer network or from other networks of the ISP. Edge routers are sometimes referred to as boundary routers.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the inter-connection of a number of routers in a network. Backbone routers 110 interface with a network backbone, such as an optical backbone of the Internet. Backbone routers 110 connect to regional routers 120. Regional routers 120 further connect to edge routers 130. Backbone routers 110, regional routers 120, and edge routers 130 may together implement a point-of-presence (POP) 100 for a network, such as the Internet. Each router within POP 100 may have a unique address, such as a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address.
POPs are frequently owned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and are used to provide network access to the customers of the ISP. One disadvantage of the router configuration illustrated in FIG. 1 is that the routers of POP 100 use a number of ports to communicate with one another. For example, as illustrated, each of backbone routers 110 uses two ports, one for each communication line shown in FIG. 1, to communicate with regional routers 120. Similarly, regional routers 120 use two ports to communicate with backbone routers 110.
Routers may use line cards to physically implement data transmission/reception at ports of the routers. Line cards, however, can be relatively expensive components. Accordingly, interconnecting routers 110, 120, and 130 at POP 100 can be a relatively expensive endeavor.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to more efficiently implement the functionality of multiple different routers within a single ISP or POP.